Why Topanga Won't Let Cory Wear Shawn's Ring
by tiramisuspice
Summary: "Shawn gave me my ring when I was twenty-five years old. Topanga won't let me wear it."


**Tweaked the quote to be a summary. Musings from an insomniatic, sleep deprived mind to take a break from my studies. I don't know what the hell this is... and please don't read anything into it. In fact, don't read it at all. It's literally me writing words just to write them lol. Make of it what you will.  
**

 **Rated K+ for Kid Being Confused**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own GMW, only the stupid things my mind comes up with ahahah xD  
**

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When she was young, Riley thought Shawn and Cory were her two dads, and Topanga? Her surrogate mom and nanny.

It was a reasonable misunderstanding of course.

At the tender age of three, Riley was finally registering all that was around her and who the important people in her life were.

There was Daddy Number One with the curly hair and the goofiness who she liked the most. He would put her on his shoulders, run around making airplane noises and then set her down after two seconds and collapse on the couch groaning about his back while she poked him with her finger in concern.

There was Topanga, who she supposed was supposed to be the maternal figure in her life. Riley wondered why she was always at her home though. Topanga was married, and Riley couldn't help but wonder if her husband missed her.

And then there was Daddy Number Two with the beard who was barely ever around. She saw him every once in a while, if he even bothered to come home that is.

She would ask about him. The responses would range from he's traveling or he's busy with work, but always with this melancholic look on their faces as if the absence was not quite so clear cut. As if the absence was not understood.

She knew without a doubt that her first daddy was in love with her second daddy. The way his face lit up with joy when he came back. The way he jumped for joy and acted even goofier and always seemed to be hugging him at every turn of the second. They would say I love you to each other and cuddle on the couch. It made Riley smile that her daddies loved each other so much.

But whenever Riley would walk up to her usually absentee father, he would get awkward, defensive. Sometimes he would barely look at her or ignore her. Other times she tried to get his attention, he would avert his gaze, pretend he was doing something else, pretend he was busy, or leave the room entirely.

And so, Riley, at the tender age of three came to the conclusion that it was her fault. Why else would her daddy be away so often? Why else would he always be so weird around her?

And she knew exactly why: she wasn't his blood.

Yes, Daddy Number Two was legally and technically her father, but the stork that brought her took some of Daddy Number One's hair and some of Topanga's hair but it forgot to get Daddy Number Two. Plus, Daddy Number One told her to call Topanga Mommy and told her to call Daddy Number Two Uncle Shawn.

She thought it was weird and she found it sad, but she supposed that was what Uncle Shawn had decided would be best since he wasn't her blood relation. It made Riley upset. If he loved her like his own, what did it matter that she was not his own by blood? She still considered him her daddy.

Sometimes, it made her sad to think that she could have been the cause of the breakage of a good marriage, but she couldn't help but wonder if Uncle Shawn was really upset about not being blood related to her, couldn't he have just asked Mr. Stork to get his hair instead of Topanga's?

It was confusing.

She wondered if any of the other kids were in a pickle like her.

So she asked around.

"My daddy doesn't come home sometimes…" the little blonde girl in her kindergarten class said one day, colouring on the back wall near the toy corner with the kiddie paints.

"Mine neither…" Riley responded, adding a little purple cat to the misshapen Christmas tree.

The blonde blinked in surprise at her.

"I have a half mommy."

"I have a half mommy too!"

They both got time outs for painting the wall but it didn't matter because Riley got herself a new best friend that day.

In any case, Riley refused to give up though. If Uncle Shawn was her daddy then she was going to make sure he felt like one. She didn't want him to be sad. She wanted him to know she still considered herself his daughter.

So she waited until he came back from his long travels again and then ran right up to him, giving him a giant hug.

"Daddy! You're back!"

He stiffened in shock, Daddy Number One frowned in confusion, and Mommy started laughing.

"Riley, baby." Mommy said, picking her up and setting her on her hip. "Cory is your papa."

"I know. But so is Shawn."

Mommy frowned. "No honey. You only have one daddy."

"But they said I love you to each other." She said in confusion.

"Yes, they do love each other. Very much. But you only have one father."

"But you called him _Mr._ Cory."

"Yes, because they are very close best friends."

"So why do they wear matching rings?"

Topanga glared at Cory.

"They won't anymore. Right Cory?"

"Right…"

Needless to say, Riley learned the truth that day.


End file.
